The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-24

Amid all the cries for reform that
20 up from all over this land, none SO
much deserve attention and consid-
Grafton as that in favor Of good writ
ing.
A persons handwriting may be
trained to perfection just as his mind
is trained TO mathematics or Lam
guages. Carelessness and indiffer-
cnce, however, play q greater part in
this occupation ~ than do pride and
pleasure. The spelling reform, which
still claims increasing progress, is one
that requires years Of labor and pa
thence, and even then with faint
hopes Of success, but one may i'm
prove his handwriting by proper
practice, and in a short while.
With the advent Of such labor saw
ing machines as type writer's, etc.,
the human race has almost come to
the conclusion that 1t is useless to
waste further time in improving
what will soon be lost art.
Already druggists are accusing
physicians Of being responsible for
a greater part OF the mistakes made
in compounding preparations owing
to the ELIGIBILITY Of the writing. II
this be true then reform should be-
gin At once. Many q writer has torn
his hair over typographical blunders,
which might have been attributed to
his careless writing.
Railroad presidents (notoriously
poor writers) should take warning
by the case in New England where
a certain official wrote note TO q
carpenter instructing him to build q
chicken coop, but the note, not being
readable, the carpenter concluded
must be an annual pass, and he sue
cessfully used the same for the re-
msinder Of the year. The conduct
ors, being as little skilled in reading
the illegible hand Of the official, gave
the pass proper recognition.
Ii is to girls that we turn in our
appeal for reform. Style has ruined
many a handwriting which might have
turned into q proper channel Of per-
lection. The great, broad, angular,
spidery writing affected nowadays
makes one weep for the copperplate
OF our youth. All remember the de-
spair INDUCED in over the curls and
twists and lines Of beauty. II girls
are TO 20 to the other extreme aud
write in such n style as TO put TO
shame Egyptian hieroglyphics, then
the best thing 10 do would be to COM
pei them TO express their love in the
cold print Of the typewriter and save
paper, labor and energy,
We make another appeal TO tho
girls Of the reriod, not on personal
grounds, OF course, but for their own
interest and improvement they
should devote more attention 10 the
daily papers. IL is hard to convince
them that the current news and
events are more valuable in the end
than the perusal OF HaVgard's last
story, or Crawford's latest novel.
How often can you confuse the gen.
tic creatures by asking questions on
some leading topic Of the day. How
many look further into the paper
than the personals and social col
umns and the advertisements We
were painfully amused not long since
to hear q society girl, on hearing
some one speak Of Henry George,
ask with eager naivete, "Who is
Henry George / declare there are
90 macy new beaux in society, il is
10 hard TO keep up with them"
We dared not expose her ignor-
ance, so left her in blissiul expeo-
tstion Of sometime meeting Henry.
The time that women devote 10
novels and fiction in general is more
than ample TO include the daily news,
and there is little excuse for know
nothipgism" among the women OF
eur households. IL is 10 be hoped
that no one will think that our APP
peals have any personal aim, beyond
the wish that "our girls" will have
the ambition TO know all or nothing
Of that which occurs daily in this
broad land Of ours.
Persons inclined TO be unpunctual,
careless OF engagements and obliyi-
Gus OF courtesies due 10 hosts and
hostesses, might take a fair lesson
from the recent experience Of Mr..
Blaine in Edinburgh. He was 10 be
the principal guest on the occasion
Of the presentation Of the freedom
OF the city TO Mr.. Andrew Cornegie,
but arriving half an hour later than
the appointed time and negleoting
10 bring his card OF admission, he
was denied entrance by the faithful
and sturdy guardian Of the door.
Chagrined and disappointed, he was
compelled 10 return 10 his hotel
without witnessing the ceremony in
the Town Hall. This was not a slight
10 Mr.. Blaine, for IL might have han.
pened 10 any one who had acted sim
ilarly. IL has almost developed into
custom in this country TO
ignore hours fixed by the hosts. and
people 70 10 entertainments at their
own sweet will. Those who entertain
from duty are always vexed that
their guests are inaonsiderate, and II
they had their way, would throw
open the house and allow the invited
persons 10 enjoy themselves, while
they would keep 10 their apartments
and enjoy their weighty slumbers.
Invitations 10 teas, dinners, lunch
cons and card parties, showing hours,
should be strictly and conscientious.
ly observed. Society should learn as
soon as possible that II is very rude
10 disregard the time fixed for such
entertainments. A wall went up last
winter from almost every one, that